grammar.verbs.passive-ser
The ser passive: fue construido en 1980
Ser + participle (agreeing) + por: la casa fue vendida por la agencia. Common in writing and news; speech prefers the se passive or active voice.
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Erklärung
Form: ser in any tense + past participle agreeing with the subject + optional por-agent: el edificio fue diseñado por un arquitecto local; las medidas serán anunciadas mañana.
Everyday Spanish avoids it: where English says 'the house was sold', Spanish more often says se vendió la casa or vendieron la casa. Keep ser-passive for formal registers and when the agent matters.
The agent, when present, is introduced by por (la ley fue aprobada por el congreso); a few verbs of emotion use de instead (era querido de todos). Because spoken Spanish leans on the se passive or a plain active sentence, the ser passive reads as distinctly formal — at home in news reports, legal texts, and history writing.
Beispiele
The contract was signed yesterday.
Region: global
The works were financed by the municipality.
Region: global
The bridge was opened in 1980 and will be restored next year.
Region: global